How's sea day on Regatta?

[Oceanbabyblue]

Thinking about to take the Transatlantic cruise on Regatta. We have been on Crystal and Seabourn and love the sea days. Wonder how sea days on Regatta is like?

 

Some question as below:

1. Does Oceania have afternoon tea everyday?

2. We're very allergic to smoke, is smoking allowed at the afternoon tea area?

3. Is there any dance class on sea days? Are they taught by professionals?

4. Is there any yoga/ fitness class during the day?

5. Do we need to pay extra for dance / yoga classes?

6. Is there any complementary movie shown on the stateroom tv?

7. Or complementary movies for renting out in the library?

8. If I'm not doing any facial / massage in the spa, can I use the steam room /spa facilities for free?

9. Is it shower or bathtub in the stateroom?

10. Is breakfast and lunch buffet style only? Do they serve lunch in the main dining room (menu style)?

 

Thank you very much in advance!!

[marilynfaye]

1. Tea is served everyday whether at sea or in port

2. As I recall, smoking is allowed in two areas of the ship. One is a section on the pool deck. The other is in Horizons where tea is served, but it's a back section so you should be able to avoid it.

3.4 & 5. I don't remember dance classes, but I tend to forget things that I don't participate in. Someone else may have a more accurate answer.

6. There are movies all day and evening long. You will get a schedule in the daily newspaper

8. I believe the steam room and showers are available even if you are not partaking of a spa treatment.

9. Tubs are available in Penthouse and Suite categories. Otherwise, there are showers.

10. Lunch is served in the main dining room (menu style).

 

I'm assuming you are not planning to take the T/A that departs Monday so you must be looking at the Lisbon-NYC itinerary. If you decide to book, be sure to join our Roll Call.

 

Marilyn

[capecodder2]

Breakfast is also served in the main dining room (menu style) as well as is in the Terrace Cafe. Oceania ships are the most smoke-free you will find and it is wonderful. All your questions are answered in any brochure or on O's website.

[orchestrapal]

Thinking about to take the Transatlantic cruise on Regatta. We have been on Crystal and Seabourn and love the sea days. Wonder how sea days on Regatta is like?

 

Some question as below:

1. Does Oceania have afternoon tea everyday? YES

2. We're very allergic to smoke, is smoking allowed at the afternoon tea area? YES there is smoke..it is supposed to be limited to a certain area but unfortunately the smoke does not know this!:mad:

[potterhill]

The smoking section in Horizons is in the stern port section of the lounge and it has never been an issue for us. If you are on that side you will smell it but i don't find it spreads to the front or the starboard side.

 

DH has asthma and we could never stay in a smoking room but the little bit of smoke on Oceania ships has never been a problem for us. Obviously some people are MUCH more sensitive than others.

 

Mo

[LHT28]

It also depends on how many smokers are on your sailing

We have been on cruises where there were hardly anyone in the smoking sections & others where the area is full

 

You may want to consider sailing on the O class ships ...the smoking section in Horizons is almost enclosed

 

Movies (DVD) can be borrowed from Reception also

[ORV]

I'm a cigar smoker, so obviously smoke doesn't bother me. Just having spent 21 days on the Regatta I can tell you that Horizons stinks of stale and current cigarette smoke, anytime you walk in there. I tend to agree with the school that thinks it all should be outside, unless there is a specific room just for smoking.

 

To answer a couple of other questions,

 

I'm pretty sure I saw Yoga for pay mentioned in the Currents, not sure about dance classes.

 

Whether you have a shower or tub will depend on which class of room you have.

[Oceans&Rivers]

I'm a cigar smoker, so obviously smoke doesn't bother me. Just having spent 21 days on the Regatta I can tell you that Horizons stinks of stale and current cigarette smoke, anytime you walk in there. I tend to agree with the school that thinks it all should be outside, unless there is a specific room just for smoking.

 

I agree about Horizons. The room was stinky and unusable for our 14-day cruise in Alaska on Regatta last year.

 

Azamara and Crystal have both banned smoking entirely from their forward view lounges where afternoon tea is served, and I think this is something that Oceania should do, too, and soon.

[Floridiana]

Horizons did not smell of smoke when we were on our 4 week cruise to the Amazon, must depend on how many smokers are present. We did not have many.

[hondorner]

My DW Betsy, although utterly charming in all other ways, is a particularly obnoxious ex-smoker. Our family jokes that she can sense someone lighting a cigarette on the opposite side of an outdoor football stadium, and she complains vociferously.

 

She has never mentioned a problem in Horizons on either Regatta or Insignia. We avoid the port side entry, of course, as well as the forward starboard doors on the pool deck. Oceania ships are the least tobacco amelly ships on which we have sailed, one of the primary reasons we choose O. We've never sailed Crystal or Azamara (and likely never will), but we have had a problem on several locations of Regent, on Celebrity, and can't go within half a deck of the casinos on some mainstream lines.

[Jancruz]

Stu and I always walk into Horizons on starboard side and sit on that side also toward the front..during Tea..I usually do not smell smoke as the smokers are in the back of Horizons on port side..

Jancruz1

[LHT28]

I have to agree

I have only smelled smoke once & we were unfortunate enough to sit on the port side near the smokers section ( only seats left at tea time)

Otherwise I have not had a problem ...also an ex-smoker ;)

[capecodder2]

the OP has cruised with Crystal and Seabourn, both of whom permit smoking in the cabins so I doubt the 2 little smoking areas on the Regatta are going to bother them.

[Mura]

As to the alleged "stench" in Horizons, I will say first that we are rarely there ...DH doesn't drink so we tend not to do cocktails, and we don't often do tea. (It depends on the itinerary -- if we have a sea day we probably will, but when in port we generally do not.)

 

We are both very sensitive to the smell of smoke, although not allergic. I just haven't noticed a problem. Maybe we have just been lucky! I have seen lots of complaints from posters about the smell of smoke from the smoking section. About the only time I've been aware of smoke is when I'm crossing the pool deck on the side by the smoking section ... and that is always a shock.

 

Yes, I do agree with others that the smoking section in Horizons should be eliminated. Because no one should be deterred from going to Horizons because of a smoking section. If TPTB think a second smoking section is necessary, then find another outdoor area.

 

And no cigar smoking should be permitted period! (Sorry to all cigar smokers, but many of us can stand cigarette smoke even if we don't like it -- and can get away from it -- but cigar smoke is totally offensive to non-smokers.)

 

Mura

[Benita]

We have been on all three of the smaller ships - the only time we had a problem with smoke in the Horizons was on the Regatta in Alaska. There were at least a dozen smokers in the Horizon area during tea time and the entire lounge stunk. People would crowd towards the forward area on the other side from the smoking area, where the air was more breathable, but after the second day, we gave up on going. Too bad, because with the inclement weather, there was not too much going on during the day, and we really like the afternoon tea. We went on the Marina and have two cruises booked on the Riviera, where the Horizon smoking area is totally enclosed and the rest of the people can breathe freely. Oceania has probably the strictest smoking policies of all cruise lines, but allowing it in Horizons was a big disappointment.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Oceania has probably the strictest smoking policies of all cruise lines, but allowing it in Horizons was a big disappointment.

 

Azamara's smoking policy is much better (stricter) than Oceania, because Azamara has totally banned smoking indoors, including their forward lounge, while still allowing the same smoking area on the pool deck as Oceania.

 

So, not only is there no chance of any odor of smoke in the room whatsoever (when smoking is totally banned), everyone can sit anywhere in the room without having to scurry to the far corner (which, by the way, was very smoky on Regatta, too.)

[oceansandseas]

Marina and Riviera have tubs in all of the cabins.

 

There were dance lessons on the Marina. They were taught by the social hostess Lisa (who started with Oceania as a entertainment dancer) and on some days by JR (assistant cruise director) who is also an entertainer. Saw him on the dance floor one night, and he can dance. Did not attend but was nearby when they were doing the classes.

[dorisis]

I have found Princess Line to be the most smoke free of all the lines we have cruised. They do have 2 of the R ships.

 

~Doris~

[LHT28]

Marina and Riviera have tubs in all of the cabins.

.

There are NO tubs in the inside cabins

[hondorner]

I have found Princess Line to be the most smoke free of all the lines we have cruised. They do have 2 of the R ships.

 

~Doris~

Princess has, as of Jan 15, 2012, banned all smoking in staterooms and balconies. Up until then, they did not allow smoking on balconies but did allow it in the stateroom. However, they still allow it in several areas of the ship, depending on the ship:

 

Keeping the comfort of our passengers a priority, and in consideration of consumer studies which show smokers are a small minority of passengers, Princess has implemented the following smoking policy:

Designated Smoking Areas

Clearly marked “Designated Smoking Areas” are available onboard and include a sufficient number of ashtrays that are emptied regularly. Generally, these areas include cigar lounges, a section of the nightclub and casino, as well as a portion of the open decks. As a safety precaution, passengers are reminded to properly dispose of cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco, which are never to be thrown overboard as this may be sucked back into the ship and cause fires.

Stateroom Smoking Policy Update

For all voyages departing after January 15th, 2012, Princess Cruises will prohibit smoking in passenger staterooms and balconies. This policy change reflects the preferences of a vast majority of our passengers who value having their primary living space (both stateroom and balcony) smoke-free. As balconies are a hallmark of Princess Cruises, we believe it is important to keep this peaceful space clear of smoke. Violations to this policy will result in a $250 fine for each occurrence, which will be charged to the passenger’s stateroom account. Keeping with the global trend toward more restrictive smoking policies and honoring the wishes of our passengers, we feel this change will enhance our onboard experience and do more to help our passengers escape completely.

 

 

That's still enough smoking to eliminate Princess from our consideration.

[azam71209]

We were on insignia and there were only a few smokers but they smoked constantly in horizons. People would cram themselves into every seat, except for the entire port side, which always had plenty of empty seats.

 

Early in the morning, the smell of stale smoke was also evident. Made the early bird continental breakfast very unpleasant. I also think Oceania is making a mistake, satisfying a very small number of people and adversely impacting the health and enjoyment of the rest

of us. I have asthma so I find it especially annoying.

[ZZROX]

How hard is it to get a lounge by the pool on sea days?

[Mura]

No problem at all if it's raining ...

 

Sorry, I haven't hunted up lounge chairs. But I would assume it isn't easy at all.

 

Actually, I always hope for good weather on a sea day so that I can easily find a lovely chair in the library ...

 

Mura

[tropicalkerry2002]

On our TA in Nov, you had to have claimed it by 1100, latest.

Still too many people leaving belongings on them and leaving for a couple of hours...drove me crazy as I watched from my chair!

[Floridiana]

On Regatta, there was a corner with comfortable sofas next to the deck aroundthe pool. It looked like it was not crowded, but you wouldn't be in the sun.